Bell gong shell mounting construction



Jan. 28, 1969 w. L. JENKINS BELL GONG SHELL MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 19, 1966 I NVENTOR. WendelLLJaukins ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,424,124 BELL GONG SHELL MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION Wendell L. Jenkins, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The W. L. Jenkins Company, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 19, 1966, Ser. No. 551,321 US. Cl. 116-152 1 Claim Int. Cl. Gk 1/072, 1/06 This invention relates to gong type bells, and more particularly the invention relates to an improved construction for mounting bell gong shells upon bell housmgs.

Even more particularly, the invention relates to a mounting construction, in which the bell gong shell position will remain fixed with respect to the bell striker, after bell assembly, and can be automatically replaced in the same position if the bell gong shell is removed from the bell assembly.

Prior bell constructions of the gong type normally include a generally cup-shaped gong shell and a striker assembly mounted in a position to strike the periphery of the gong. The strikers have been both manually actuated and electrically actuated, and many types of construction have been provided for mounting the striker in various positions both within the gong shell and outside the gong shell. The gong itself is normally provided with a mounting hole and is usually attached to a pedestal or post by a bolt passing through the hole and screwed into the pedestal or post, or by riveting the gong shell through the hole to the pedestal.

One problem has been continuously troublesome in the art, particularly with respect to bells having electrically operated strikers. Electric bells, of either AC or DC type, have the best ringing quality when the striker strikes the gong shell at approximately the position of greatest striker velocity. If the striker is mounted too far from the gong shell it will not strike the gong, and if mounted to close to the gong shell the striker will not strike the gong shell with sufiicient 'force to impart the desired level of loudness. Therefore, the optimum ringing qualities are normally achieved by adjusting the striker position with respect to the gong shell to the optimum position during bell assembly.

It is frequently necessary to remove the gong shell after assembly and initial striker adjustment. Since it is extremely difficult to form the gong shell mounting hole exactly concentrically with the periphery of the gong shell the position of the gong shell with respect to the striker is critical after striker adjustment because any change in the shells angular position may change the distance between striker and gong shell. That is to say that if the gong shell is removed it must be replaced in exactly the same position it was prior to removal or the distance between the gong shell periphery and the striker will in all probability be changed, with the resultant decrease in bell ringing quality. In some instances, the bell might not even ring at all if the deviation from concentricity of hole location is great enough that the periphery of the gong shell will be far enough away from the striker tip that the striker during operation will not strike the gong shell.

In contemplation of this problem manufacturers of electric bells normally mark the position of the gong shell which should register with the striker tip so that if the gong shell is removed, it may be replaced with the striker in registration with the proper position on the gong shell. However, if this replacement is done carelessly the gong shell may not be placed in the correct position for optimum ringing qualities with the resultant undesirable consequences. The problem is serious enough, since such bells are frequently used as fire alarms and the 3,424,124 Patented Jan. 1969 ICC like, that manufacturers usually provide a warning on the bell assembly to the effect that the gong shell should not be removed unless absolutely necessary and that if removed close attention should be paid to the replacement of the gong shell to the bell assembly.

Objectives of the invention therefore are to provide a gong shell mounting construction in which the gong shell may be removed for bell maintenance if desired without risk of replacing the gong shell in an inoperative position; in which the gong shell may be, if removed, replaced in exactly the same position it was prior to removal; in which it is unnecessary to provide Warnings with respect to gong shell removal; which may be manufactured without additional provision of precision parts or manufacturing procedures, and which may be manufactured with ease.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, constructions, arrangements, and combinations compris ing the present invention, a preferred embodiment of whichillustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principlesis set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming a part hereof.

In general terms, the improvement in gong shell mounting construction resides in the provision of a bell gong shell mounting post or pedestal having registry notches and a corresponding set of registry protrusions provided on the gong shell adacent to the gong shell mounting hole for aligning the gong with respect to the bell striker. The registry means are, in accordance with the invention arranged in such a way that the gong shell can only be mounted in one position.

By way of example, the embodiment of the improved gong shell mounting construction of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a bell construction embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of the bell of FIG. 1, embodying the mounting construction of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view, partly in elevation taken along the lines 25-31, FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view, with the gong shell in elevation, showing the registry protrusions and taken along the line 44, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the bell housing with the gong shell removed.

In the drawing, an electric bell comprising the present invention is illustrated and includes a bell housing 10, a gong shell 11 mounted to the bell housing by a suitable bolt 12 extending through hole 13 formed in the central portion of cup-shaped gong shell 11. Housing 10 is provided With a pedestal or post-like member 14 which is provided with a threaded hole 15 for receiving bolt 12 to attach gong shell 11 to the housing.

The bell construction also includes a striker assembly 16 having a striker tip 17 mounted in the housing and so that the position of the striker assembly is located at a position where the striker tip will strike the gong shell with the maximum velocity and thus create the maximum degree of loudness.

In accordance with the present invention pedestal 14 has formed in its outer face a series of notches 18 which surround the mounting hole 15 formed in the pedestal for mounting the gong shell. Also in accordance with the present invention, a series of ears or tabs 19 are formed extending inwardly from the gong shell at a position surrounding the mounting hole 13 in gong shell 11. Tabs 19 are located for registration with notches 18 in pedestal 14. Any number of notches and corresponding tabs can be provided if arranged in the proper manner. That is, the location of notches and tabs must be such that the gong shell 11 can only be mounted in one position. It is, however, preferable that three tabs and corresponding notches are provided and the angles therebetween are unequal so that the gong shell can be mounted on the pedestal in only one position that is to say the three notches 18 and corresponding three tabs 19 are arranged around their respective mounting hole so that there is only one possible position in which the gong shell can be mounted on the housing pedestal 14.

With the provision of the notches and tabs of the present invention, a bell may be assembled according to the usual procedures including adjustment of the striker with respect to the gong shell during assembly of the bell. If at some time later it is desired to remove the gong shell from the housing assembly, the gong shell may be replaced and the relative position of the gong shell and the striker will be the same as it was set at the factory since it will be possible to only replace the gong shell in the same position that it was during factory adjustment. Thus, it will be permissible to, if necessary, remove the gong shell for maintenance of the bell and have the bell remain in adjustment. Furthermore, it can be seen that it is not necessary to provide some form of marking on the periphery of the gong shell so that the striker location can be properly placed with respect to the gong shell.

It should be understood that other registry forms could be used within the scope of the present invention. For example, protrusions could be formed upon the pedestal and corresponding notches could be provided in the gong shell itself rather than doing the reverse as is shown in the drawing.

An additional advantage is achieved by the provision of the projections and notches. That is, these two features act as a form of stop to prevent the gong shell from rotating while mounted should the attaching nut become slightly loose. This will prevent some accidental or inadvertant rotational movement of the gong shell even when it is presumably in a securely mounted position.

The important aspect therefore of the present invention is the provision of matching registry means on both the gong shell and the mounting pedestal whereby the gong shell can be mounted upon the housing in only one position, so that the optimum gong position will be maintained at all times, and the gong shell will be in proper position for the most efficient ringing.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown.

Having now described the invention, the construction, the method of assembly and the use of the preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful construction and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

1. Bell gong shell mounting construction of the type in which a striker assembly is mounted on a bell housing, in which the housing includes a gong shell mounting pedestal having gong shell attachment means formed therein, in which a generally cup-shaped gong shell is mounted on the pedestal with its periphery located adjacent to the tip of the striker and attached to the housing pedestal, and in which the striker is operable to strike the gong shell at its periphery; the improvement including providing three registration means on the pedestal and providing three corresponding integrally formed regist-ration means on the gong shell, both registration means being constructed, arranged and located in position such that the gong shell is mountable on the pedestal only in one position, said striker being located at a selected optimum position with respect to the gong shell periphery, and in which the three pedestal registration means are notches formed in the pedestal and in which the three gong shell registration means are tabs integrally formed in the gong shell and adapted to be positioned in the notches.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,798,207 3/1931 K0 Eune 116-148 2,267,126 12/1941 Moretti 29-521 2,406,281 8/ 1946 Dahl 29-406 2,646,768 7/1953 Fish 116-148 3,241,874 3/1966 Russell et al. 29-464 1,962,926 6/1934 Deary 340-392 2,140,577 12/ 1938 Gaynor 340-39 LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 29-464; 116-148 

1. BELL GONG SHELL MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A STRIKER ASSEMBLY IS MOUNTED ON A BELL HOUSING, IN WHICH THE HOUSING INCLUDES A GONG SHELL MOUNTING PEDESTAL HAVING GONG SHELL ATTACHMENT MEANS FORMED THEREIN, IN WHICH A GENERALLY CUP-SHAPED GONG SHELL IS MOUNTED ON THE PEDESTAL WITH ITS PERIPHERY LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE TIP OF THE STRIKER AND ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING PEDESTAL, AND IN WHICH THE STRIKER IS OPERABLE TO STRIKE THE GONG SHELL AT ITS PERIPHERY; THE IMPROVEMENT INCLUDING PROVIDING THREE REGISTRATION MEANS ON THE PEDESTAL AND PROVIDING THREE CORRESPONDING INTEGRALLY FORMED REGISTRATION MEANS ON THE GONG SHELL, BOTH REGISTRATION MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED, ARRANGED AN LOCATED IN POSITION SUCH THAT THE GONG SHELL IS MOUNTABLE ON THE PEDESTAL ONLY IN ONE POSITION, SAID STRIKER BEING LOCATED AT A SELECTED OPTIMUM POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE GONG SHELL PERIPHERY, AND IN WHICH THE THREE PEDESTAL REGISTRATION MEANS ARE NOTCHES FORMED IN THE PEDESTAL AND IN WHICH THE THREE GONG SHELL REGISTRATION MEANS ARE TABS INTEGRALLY FORMED IN THE GONG SHELL AND ADAPTED TO THE POSITIONED IN THE NOTCHES. 